A Chinese person I work with (he just got his citizenship actually) wants a rifle. I took him skeet shooting and he's hooked but he wants a target rifle. He was trained by the Red Army 25 years ago and, at the end of training, got to fire 5 whole bullets at their range!

I suggested a Mossy bolt action from Academy ($150 or so on sale) in .17 HMR. He won't be using it on game and recoil is an issue for him... as it is with most people over 40 that have fired under 20 rounds in their lives.

What would you guys suggest for a budget minded noob with a cheap, cheap wife? The .17 is cheap to shoot, too.

KevK.

June 24, 2012, 08:42 PM

Even cheaper would be .22LR in ammo and rifle.

That mossy would be a good place to start. Savage also makes a decent rifle for under $200. Just about every maker has them pretty inexpensive.

Depending on his budget I'd go Ruger 10/22 (even a used one). There are lots of after market parts for it in case he wanted to add to it.

Marlin 891TS is the exact model i wish I started with. I think they are about $225 now, but not sure. THere is a mag fed variant.

trg42wraglefragle

June 24, 2012, 10:31 PM

A bolt action 22 is what is needed.

Norinco JW15s are cheap and made in China which he might like.
My dad has one its actually a really nice gun, shoots pretty well too, not as good as the CZ/bruno it was copied off but its still good.

NESHOOTER

June 24, 2012, 11:09 PM

I would also 2nd the 891T BOLT .22 it would encourage accuracy and timing 1 shot at a time. As well as the cost savings.

BIG P

June 24, 2012, 11:22 PM

Pawn shop 22LR bolt gun,go from there.

mrawesome22

June 25, 2012, 12:23 AM

Whatever you want to buy off him in 6 months.

Sent from HenseMod6.

10-96

June 25, 2012, 01:48 AM

My vote, would be the CZ 452 Military Trainer in .22lr. I'm guessing he shot those 5 rounds out of an AK(?)- the 452's sights wont be totally foreign to him. I't more accurate than he'll likely appreciate for a long time. It's adult size. It's iron sights will be familiar if he decides to graduate up to a mil-surp bolt rifle. The trigger is adjustable. It does not feel cheap. There may be other plusses in it's favor, but those are the one's off the top of my head.

jonnyc

June 25, 2012, 10:41 AM

Ditto, any respected .22LR bolt-action or semi would be perfect.

RedBowTies88

June 25, 2012, 10:44 AM

Maybe get him a chineese type 53? Really cheap and fun to shoot. Recoil is there but its not devestating by any means... and the big fireball from the muzzle on every shot is a nice plus

Here's some in really good shape.. more beat up ones can be had for about $150

http://websterguns.com/chinese-type-53-carbine-p-45035.html

and ammo is about $80 for 440 rounds...cant beat that with a stick.

chack

June 25, 2012, 11:25 PM

A type 53 is a horrible idea. If he has a typical asian build the 7.62x54 from a 20" barrel may turn him off of shooting or give him a bad flinch for the rest of his life.

The .22 bolt action is a great idea. For a bit more he can get a Polish .22 training rifle with collectible value that might be quite similar to what he shot in his youth.

I would suggest that he look for a single shot combo set in .22/.243/20 ga and he'd have something for any occasion.

ltc444

June 27, 2012, 11:40 PM

Good 22lr bolt action. Teach him good technique on paper, Shoot some spinners and play kick the can. He will be hooked and then he can move up to other toys.

BigMikey76

June 28, 2012, 07:35 AM

I must concur with the .22 suggestions. Bolt, lever, semi - whatever floats his boat. There are plenty of inexpensive options that can get him started with minimal investment, and .22s are just plain fun to shoot. He will have a nice cheap paper puncher to get in lots of practice, and he will also be ready to hunt small game if he decides to get into hunting.

gun nut

June 28, 2012, 07:44 AM

22 from bolt action

CarbineCaleb

June 28, 2012, 09:37 PM

CZ makes high quality, modestly priced .22 bolt actions like the 452, also available in .17 HMR chambering.

El Paso Joe

June 29, 2012, 01:06 AM

Have him try several at a range that rents them. Look at a 10-22. Oh, and if he got his US citizenship then he isn't Chinese, he's an American. Like you and me.

timothy75

June 30, 2012, 03:33 AM

I think 22's turn more away from shooting than people realise. A 40 year old imigrant is probably gonna give shooting one try and take it or leave it, he's probably not looking to develop a new (very frustrating) life long skill like a kid might. People like to pretend new shooters arent ready or worthy to enjoy the same guns seasoned shooters do, and its a real disservice to our cause imho. My uncle took myself my sister and her boyfriend to the range when we were teens and we shot a 357 and 44 magnum sw revolvers. We had an absolute BALL. I had never fired a magnum revolver before but what do ya know after a couple shots I was grouping ok at 10 yards or so. I knew right then some day I wanted to own powerfull revolvers like that and now I have two safes full. So in response, I'd say you gotta get that guy out to the range having fun right away or he's gonna loose intrest. He doesnt know good shooting from bad either btw he just want to shoot and own a gun. I recomend he start with a semi automatic 223 of some sort. Its a powerfull economical low recoil cartridge and if he likes it he may just get hooked like I did.

hornetguy

June 30, 2012, 12:07 PM

Good point, Tim75... Perhaps the ideal thing to do is to take him out and let him shoot one of YOUR .22 rifles to see if he likes it, or if he wants something bigger/louder.
It is always a good thing to take a noob out with you and a variety of your stuff. We did that once with some fellow techs that weren't "gun folks". We each took three or four of our rifles and shotguns out and let them have a blast. We footed the bill for the ammo, gladly, and everyone had fun. Makes for good friends and good future shooters, if they are so inclined.

customaquatics

June 30, 2012, 05:02 PM

this day in age i would check how long he has to have his citizienship before he can legally own a firearm.

baddarryl

June 30, 2012, 05:21 PM

I would also 2nd the 891T BOLT .22 it would encourage accuracy and timing 1 shot at a time. As well as the cost savings.

That Marlin is actually the 981T not 891T. I have one and it is a fantastic deadly accurate rifle for a pittance.

johnwilliamson062

July 1, 2012, 01:24 AM

People like to pretend new shooters arent ready or worthy to enjoy the same guns seasoned shooters do, and its a real disservice to our cause imho
I don;t enjoy shooting any of my centerfires as much as I enjoy shooting my 22s. If you want louder than forego the hearing protection...

The problem with buying a centerfire, IMO, is they are more specialized than 22s. A person has to have a lot better idea of what they are after than with a 22. No matter what 22 you buy it is likely you will hold on to it and keep shooting it. If you buy a 357 revolver then realize you like semi-autos or such, the gun usually seems useless. Resale on 22s is pretty decent also. If he has a budget for a decent new centerfire rifle he could but a 22 and a reasonable surplus rifle also.

BigMikey76

July 2, 2012, 02:16 PM

It is always a good thing to take a noob out with you and a variety of your stuff.

Absolutely. One of the guys from this forum, Jimbob86, did exactly that when I first started shooting. He brought about half a dozen different rifles in different calibers, and we spent a couple of hours blowing up milk jugs full of water. It was a great experience, and it really gave me some good ideas about what was going to be the best gun for me.

I still spend more time with my .22 than anything else, mainly because it is cheap to shoot, but getting out to try some of the larger calibers solidified my interest in shooting, and I am now hooked for life.

That being said, don't underestimate how fun it is to shoot .22s. I leave the range with a smile on my face every time, and I usually don't even bring my centerfire rifle with me.

triage1998

July 5, 2012, 07:30 AM

CZ makes high quality, modestly priced .22 bolt actions like the 452, also available in .17 HMR chambering.

I agree with this statement. I think a good quality .22LR like a CZ would fit the bill.

CCCLVII

July 6, 2012, 09:32 PM

22LR over 17HMR (or 22mag)

really cheep ammo helps a lot when learning to shoot.

tobnpr

July 8, 2012, 06:47 AM

.22 is fine, but depending on "aspirations" may be outgrown for something that can reach out further in short order.

The .22 is certainly cheap to shoot (and get a lot of trigger time), but don't discount the .223 for a low-recoil, "relatively" inexpensive to shoot caliber.

mdThanatos

July 8, 2012, 01:13 PM

Since you have an Academy near you, I'd look at the Marlin 60. Was the first firearm that I ever shot when I was a kid and still have it 20 years later. The newer ones have a thicker stock than mine does but mine is over 30 years old so things have changed a bit. It isn't a laser beam accurate put 1 hole at 100 yards but it is fun as all get out, and should be a little cheaper than the Mossberg you mentioned. Besides everyone should have a .22LR firearm of some sort, should be law :D.